7

I come to a slow stop as we come to the light and I look back at Casey through the mirror; a light smile sliding across her face as she notices. She had been humming lightly with the radio ever since we pulled away from the house. I come to believe that the music would entice her with its melodies and pull her into the company of her own imagination of which I had never quite been able to understand. She seemed contempt for the most part but excited none the less. The night had been peaceful and for now the streets remained calm with little traffic. For the most part I was pleased to even be out of the house for a change. I found it to be more comforting than locking myself in my room all evening and listening to music.

I take a left at light when it turns green and head down the main road, occasionally glancing over at a passing car or landmark as we drew closer to our destination. I was making the most of this temporary freedom and in a way found myself at peace for a change. Even if I was still plagued by the troubling thoughts of my mother and sister's death, I was able to put those thoughts aside. At least for tonight anyways. 

I pull into the track parking lot, looking around at some of the cars owned by the racers. Most of them were small with a few modifications done to the engines and had vinyl detailed paint jobs. They managed to hold my attention whiled I parked my car and waited for Conner, Casey also seemed intrigued by them. By now she had managed to escape from her car seat and look out the back window. I chuckled at her lightly as I looked up at the mirror and took out my cell, turning on the screen and dialing Carol's number.

"Hello" she said in a light tone. Her voice calm and relaxed as she spoke.

"Hey Aunt Carol it's me, I just wanted to let you know we made it to the track safely." I say as I look over seeing Conner and his friends pull up beside me.

"Alright hun, you and Case have fun." She says giggling a little. "And remember to call when your on your way back."

"I will, Love you" 

"Love you too, bye"

I hang up my cell and slide it back into my pocket before getting out of the car and letting Casey out after me before closing it behind her. I look down at her smiling as I notice her lean against the car and mimic my expression. She smiles back and holds her arms out for me to pick her up. I laugh a little and lift her kissing her cheek as I hold her. Conner gets out of the car after us and looks over, cocking and eyebrow in confusion as he sees me holding Casey.

"Hey, I didn't know you had a daughter" he says smiling at her.

"I don't, she's my niece" 

"Oh" he says lightly. "Well, it's very nice to meet you."

Casey turns away from him and buries her head into my shoulder, hiding her face from him. 

"She's a shy one isn't she?" he asks laughing a little as he looks back up at me.

"Yeah, but just give her some time. She'll get used to you the more your around"  I say as we begin walking towards the entrance.

"What do you know, an artist and a car guy" Mika says as she walks up to us causing us to stop in our tracks.

"Hi Mika" Conner says smiling lightly.

"Hey loser" she responds, rolling her eyes at him and returning her focus towards me. The guys walking with us laughing as they see Conner's smile quickly drop. "So James, are you participating in the races tonight?" she asks her tone a bit seductive.

"No, actually I just come to watch." I say smiling a bit.

"Is this your daughter?"

"Technically, but no she's my niece." I say, as we begin to walk together, Conner and his friends following behind us. All of the surprised that Mika was interested in me.

"So, god daughter then."

"Yeah." I say looking down at Casey seeing her smile at Mika. "You know, I'm surprised she didn't hide her face from you."

"Maybe, I'm doing something right" she says smirking a little.

"Maybe" I say lightly, staying quiet as we enter the field and join Conner and his friends in the bleachers.

"Hey Jay, you just missed the drama" Conner says as we sit down next to him. "Some guy just called out Tony."

"Did he accept it?" I ask, intrigued  by the concept. 

"Yeah." he say chuckling a bit. "I don't know about you too but, twenty says Tony gets his a*s kicked.

"Alright, you're on" I say, shaking his hand.

"You seem pretty confident" Mika says playfully.

"Why wouldn't I be? Tony has the upper hand" I say smirking a little as I look out towards the track.

"How so?" she asks, a little confused.

"The guy that challenged him drives a Mazda RX-8. Considering that it's been fully modded, which judging by the sound of engine, it has. it can only go about 298 miles per hour max." I say looking back and forth between her and the track as the pull away from the starting line and head towards the first turn."Now, Tony's driving a Dodge Challenger. From what I'm getting from the sound of his car he only a few basic modifications."

"Which means what exactly?" Mika asks now intrigued by my theory.

"It means he'll go just about the same amount of speed. However, he has the other guy beat in acceleration. And give or take that he uses his nitrous at the right time, he'll come out on top." I say glancing back at the track just as Tony crosses the finish line in first place. 

"D****t" Conner says as he takes his wallet out of his pocket.

"Yeah, yeah, pay up." I say laughing as he hands me a twenty dollar bill. "Ah victory." 

Casey giggles a little at my comment as I put the money into my jacket pocket and I look back over at MIka. She has a slight smile on her face and a curious look in her eyes. She seemed to question me silently and in a way it was almost as if she could tell that I had been doing the same.

"So, what brings a guy like you to Phoenix?" she asks, breaking the silence between us.

 

"Just a simple business trip" I say lightly.

"Really? So why join the school if your time here is limited?"

"Trust me, it was never our intent to stay. But, things didn't quite work out the way that we planed."

"So, you lost your job and your stuck here" Mika says, attempting to piece together the story.

"No, nothing like that" I say laughing a little as I glance out towards the track.

"Okay. So tell me, what really happened?"

"The business trip was for my mother and sister." I say glancing back over at her as the final race starts. "We stopped here on their way to San Diego so they could drop me and Case off at my aunts until they got back."

"How, long were they supposed be working?"

"Only for a few weeks, but it didn't work out that way."

"Why, what happened?" She asks, now curious and a little concerned as I turn away from her and lower my head. 

I stand up as the race ends, lifting Casey in the process and begin to follow Conner and his friends back over to the parking lot. Mika follows behind us, trying her best to keep up with me as we draw closer to our cars.

"James, what happened?" Mika asks as she jogs up behind me, catching me as I help Casey into her car seat and shut the door.

"Mika just let it go, I'd rather not talk about it."

"Just tell me, I wanna help you." She says as I open the front, driver side door and slide into the car.

"Have a nice night Mika." I say as I close the door and start the car, quickly pulling out of the parking lot and taking off down the road.

I take out my cell and dial Carol's number hearing it ring a few times before she answers. 

"Hey aunt Carol, it's me. Just calling to let you know that Casey and I are on our way back." I say lightly as take a left onto the main road.

"Alright hun, did you two have fun." she asks, her voice soft; almost as if she had been sleeping.

"Yeah, we did." I say pausing as I look up in the mirror at Casey. "I'll see you when we get there."

"Okay, I'll leave the door unlocked for you."

"Alright, love you"

"Love you too."

I hang up my cell and set it in the cup holder, glancing over to the left of me at a couple as I stop at the light. They had appeared to be happy as they were leaving the building that they were in, the woman holding her hand forward only slightly towards the light. For a second I could see the glistening of the ring on her finger; I was guessing they had just gotten engaged and I smiled a little as I pulled away from the light. I could only imagine what it would be like if things would've worked out with Maria, but unfortunately because of everything that had been going on they didn't. I still loved her, however, I knew she'd eventually find someone that could make her happier than I ever could. 

I ponder at different scenarios as we draw closer to the house, there were so many different out comes, different stories, just so many different ways for us to have been able to make things work. It wasn't long before I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a horn from the car behind me. I had been paused at the light before the road that had lead to the house longer than what I should've been and I pull away as I refocus and turn down the road. By then Casey had fallen asleep, her dark brown hair covering her eyes slightly as she slept with a soft grin on her face. She seemed contempt with the night we had. Although it was cut short just a few hours, we enjoyed ourselves for the most part; most of the time I was being interrogated by Mika, who of course meant well, but nevertheless she managed to corner me and get me to confess most of what I had been hiding from her. It was only a matter of time before she would try again.

I pull into the driveway next to Carol's car and shut off the engine, closing my eyes as I take a couple of deep breaths before getting out of the car and heading around to the passenger side to get Casey out of her car seat. I open the door and unbuckle her seat belt, gently lifting her and closing the car door as I straiten out; feeling her stir a bit in my arms as she wrap hers around my neck. I turn a little as I open the front door and push it open, gently shutting it behind me and locking it as I carry Casey down the hall to her room. I look back as I hear Carol come out into the hall and flash a smile at her, seeing her smile back as I turn and head into Casey's room. I walk over to her bed and set her down gently, carefully taking off her shoes and placing her legs under her cover as I tuck her in. I kiss her forehead before leaving her room and heading down the hall to my own, closing the door behind me and turning on the light as I walk over to my bed and flop down on it, closing my eyes lightly as I exhale.

I look up as I hear the door open seeing Carol's head pop in as she knocks lightly and pushes open the door.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asks, sounding a bit concerned.

"Yeah" I say lightly yawning a bit as I push up on my elbows. "Just a long, night is all."

"Alright, you're plate is in the fridge if your hungry" She says suggestively.

"Thanks."

"Your welcome hun" she says as she leans back out of the room and shuts the door behind her.

I lean backwards as I listen to the sound of her footsteps as she walks down the hall, running my hand over my face and through my hair lightly before sitting back up and looking around the room. As Mika's questions replay through my head I found myself answering them once more. I wanted to tell her, I did but I just couldn't bring myself to it. It was like one of the defense techniques that my father had once showed me. She couldn't break me even if she had tried torture. No, the only way she would get it out of me is if I told her myself. The thought of the torture made me chuckle a little, however, it was like watching a cartoon without all the child like filters. It was an odd feeling but on the bright side it put me in perspective of some career choices towards the future.